2025 Legislative Session Comes to an End The 2025 legislative session officially concluded on May 16, marking one of the most productive sessions in recent years. The Missouri General Assembly passed 67 bills in total with the Senate operating more efficiently and collaboratively than in the past. I’m proud to have helped lead efforts that prioritize the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, support young families and improve the effectiveness of your state government. My Successfully Passed Legislation This Session - Encouraging Youth Entrepreneurship - One piece of legislation I am particularly proud to have ushered across the finish line is my Senate Bill 145, the Lemonade Stand Freedom Act. This was a simple bill designed to support Missouri’s next generation of business leaders. This bill, now awaiting the governor’s signature, exempts anyone under the age of 18 from licensure, taxation and regulation of their small business ventures. The leaders of tomorrow should not have to navigate onerous red tape. I’m glad this legislation will restore some common sense in this area and provide these young people the freedom to see their ideas come to fruition and their work ethic get rewarded.
- Exempting Diapers from Sales Tax - House Bill 594, legislation that was introduced to authorize an income tax deduction for capital gains, is also awaiting the governor’s signature. This bill includes provisions from my sponsored legislation, Senate Bill 57, and would exempt diapers from sales tax, providing much needed relief for working families. I have been fighting to pass similar legislation for several years.
- Protecting the Unborn - I also added a very important provision onto House Bill 495, a large public safety bill passed by the General Assembly, that made several large strides towards empowering law enforcement and fighting crime across the state. I added elements of my Senate Bill 277 during deliberations. These added provisions would prohibit the use of restraints on any woman who is in the third trimester of pregnancy, including during transportation, labor, delivery or for 48 hours post-delivery. It also requires all county and city jails to develop procedures for the care of pregnant and postpartum offenders, including maternal health evaluations, dietary supplements and nutritious meal options, among other specifics.
- Providing Consumer Choice - I filed Senate Bill 224 to give customers some say over the meters used by utility companies. These provisions, which were added to Senate Bill 4, allow the customer to choose a traditional meter instead of smart meter. Affordable energy is a necessity, and the companies that provide utilities should serve their customers’ interests, not the other way around. This gives control back to hard-working Missouri families when it comes to their energy choices. Senate Bill 4 was signed into law by the governor on April 9.
- Protecting Newborns and Providing Support to Families - I handled and passed House Bill 121, a package aimed at protecting Missouri’s most vulnerable children, which is also on the governor’s desk. This bill establishes the Safe Place for Newborns Fund for the installation of newborn safety incubators and expands tax credits for maternity homes and diaper banks.
Conservative Victories It was great to see the Senate, specifically the Majority Caucus, work together with a shared vision and sense of purpose this year. Together, we were able to keep priority issues on top of the pile of hundreds of proposals and, as a result, real conservative results were delivered for the people of Missouri. - Public Safety – In one of the strongest public safety bills passed in years, the oversight of the St. Louis Police Department was transferred to a citizen-led board. The legislation also adds more protections for children by increasing penalties for those who dangerously expose kids to fentanyl, requires law enforcement to report the immigration status of those arrested for serious crimes, cracks down on stunt driving and speed racing, and increases support for multi-jurisdiction law enforcement cooperation across state lines.
- Tax Relief – Tax relief for hard-working Missourians was a priority for the General Assembly and governor from the beginning of session. Relief is now on the way to working families, seniors, veterans and communities. Through a coordinated effort, the income tax on capital gains has been eliminated, diapers and feminine products are exempt from sales tax and property tax freezes for seniors and those with disabilities have been expanded.
- Protecting Life – Missourians will once again vote to decide where the line is drawn when it comes to protecting the unborn. Last year’s Amendment 3 was, in my opinion, full of unclear language that confounded this all-important issue. The Legislature passed House Joint Resolution 73, which would put the issue back on a statewide ballot. If approved by voters, HJR 73 prohibits abortions in Missouri with exceptions for rape and incest (if reported by the 12th week of pregnancy), medical emergencies and fatal fetal abnormalities. The new law also prohibits public funds from being used to provide abortions, ensures additional protections for pregnancy related difficulties and emergencies and includes other provisions related to protecting Missouri kids, such as banning gender transition procedures for minors.
- Election Integrity – The will of Missourians, not out-of-state activists or foreign special interest groups, will shape the Missouri Constitution moving forward, thanks to additional protections that will ensure transparency and fairness in the initiative petition process. Legislation I cosponsored reforms how ballot language is written, challenged and clarified. This includes doubling the word limit for ballot summary statements from 50 to 100 words, allowing for more complete and accurate information for voters. Also passed was a bill to ban foreign governments and organizations from funding or financially supporting ballot initiatives in the state.
- Expanding and Enhancing Education – From the $50 million secured for the Missouri Scholars ESA program in the fiscal year 2026 budget to opening up public school extracurricular activities to homeschool students, the Senate made great strides towards strengthening education efforts. Other specific improvements for teachers and students include protecting belief-based student groups at public colleges and universities by ensuring their access to campus resources without discrimination, allowing schools to set policies limiting cell phone usage and reducing distractions, and increasing school safety through law enforcement coordination and expanding emergency preparedness planning.
To see a full list of legislation passed by the General Assembly this year, please visit senate.mo.gov, click on legislation and then click the “Truly Agreed Bills” link. 
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